You Can Watch Cinemalaya's Intense Opening Film for Free This August

(SPOT.ph)Cinemalaya is one of the most anticipated events of the year for movie fans, and the 2017 edition is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting iterations yet—and we don't just mean the usual film entries.

This year's opening film is Mikhail Red's intense thriller, Birdshot, which revolves around Maya, a farmer's daughter who accidentally kills a Philippine Eagle in a forest reserve. As the local authorities begin a dangerous manhunt to track down the poacher of an endangered bird, their investigation leads them to an even more horrific discovery.

Intrigued? You can catch the film for free on August 4 after the festival's opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. in the CCP Main Theater. If your schedule is too packed, don't worry! It will also be part of the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, where all cinemas nationwide are screening only Filipino films from August 16 to 22.

Birdshot is produced by Tuko Film Productions and Buchi Boy Entertainment (the same team behind Heneral Luna), and was part of the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival where it won Best Film.